Chef Larry Talks About The Pub

Hi lads and lassies. Chef Larry here. I get asked quite often to tell more details about Marshall’s Irish Pub in Cebu. People tend to want to know more than just what appears on our website and social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter. So I thought I would take this time via a blog post to explain some of the features about the Pub.

First off the bat, when you arrive at Century Plaza you will be greeted by our sign and green flood lights outside. Our sign is designed with the Ireland flag as the background and at the center is the Marshall coat of arms which is how family names were denoted back in the mid-evil times. You will notice we use a lot of green for our theme both inside the Pub as well as outside. One of the nicknames of Ireland is the Emerald Isle and of course Emerald’s are green in color.

Outside, we have 2 tables seating 8 people in our “el fresco” area. At night the sidewalk in front of the pub is lit up in green as well.

Inside, we have 2 floors. The first floor is the bar and smoking area. The second floor is our non-smoking area which has 5 tables seating 20 people. The bar top on the first floor seats 4 people and has a flat screen LCD TV playing sports. Behind the bar is a standing room only shelf where people can stand to chat and have a drink while waiting for a seat to become available. The first floor also has 3 tables indoors that seats 12 people total. So in total, our Pub can seat 44 people at one time. Also on the first floor is a second 32 inch LCD TV playing sports for the people sitting at the tables to watch. The second floor has the same type setup for the TV. Also on the first floor is the sound system and live music played nightly from 9pm to midnight. The Pub is open Monday through Saturday from 5pm to 1am and closed on Sundays. When the band isn’t playing, we also have a separate sound system that will be playing traditional Irish music. We plan to create another shift of employees to handle 10am to 5pm after a few months of being open.

You will notice after walking in the front door that the main walls are green in color. And lots of wood decors. The bar alone was custom made from scratch. Both the first and second floors have a brick accent wall to make the place look more warm and friendly. Actually even the restroom has a brick accent wall. We tried to create an atmosphere that looks similar to other Irish Pub’s around the world.

The second floor can also be booked / reserved for private parties and functions with advance notice.

Since the Philippines can get quite hot outside, both the first and second floors are air conditioned with additional ceiling fans to help keep things cool and provide good air circulation.

We will have “Happy Hour” each day from 6pm to 7pm where all local beers are buy one take one. We will also be offering what the call the MIP Card, our version of the VIP card. The card holder will get a 10% discount on all items for an entire year.

From the menu standpoint, we have a pretty extensive collection of dishes including appetizers, Irish favorites, Pinoy favorites, grilled favorites, burgers and sandwiches, soups and salads and of course desserts. I get asked quite often what is Irish food. Of course once you look at our menu, we have descriptions of each of the dishes there to give you a better idea. All meals are typically served with some type of potatoes. Anything from french fries to potato wedges to mashed potatoes. But of course since we are in the Philippines, we also offer steamed white plain rice which can be substituted and is always served with our Pinoy favorite dishes. You will note that all of our Pinoy favorites also are ones that include potatoes in the recipe to give it a bit of an Irish twist.

From the drinks standpoint, we have a very wide selection. We have our own custom bottled 500ml water from Nature Spring. Soft drinks and juices as well. We have several “signature drinks” which we know people will like and order on a regular basis. But we also have a full bar, so if you want something that is not on the menu for a cocktail, you just simply ask for it and the bartender (bar keep) will make it for you. We plan to carry almost all local beers as well as many different types of imported beers. Of course being an Irish Pub, it would not be complete without Guinness beer which we will have. If you haven’t tried Guinness before, you really should try it. And of course we will have Irish coffee available as well. We will also have several types of wine available (red and white) for those of you who are wine drinkers.

Lastly, we also have free Wi-Fi internet for our customers for your smart phone, tablet, or laptop. Just ask your server or the bartender for the password which is changed daily.

After traveling around the world and experiencing many types of bars and restaurants, my goal was to offer something unique, special, entertaining and fun here in Cebu, Philippines. Basically a place that people would like to come and hang out, have some drinks, watch some sports, socialize and just have fun. A place that has high quality food and drinks and a clean friendly atmosphere. Although I would love for everything to be absolutely perfect starting on the grand opening day, I also know from a realistic standpoint that there will be areas for improvement. So we really do welcome comments and suggestions from anyone who has visited our Pub.

So if you’re looking for a new bar or restaurant to hang out at during the evening, we invite you to come check out our Pub. The grand opening is scheduled for June 15, 2012.